New accommodation option for Tamworth festival fans

AFTER a hard day at Tamworth’s Country Music Festival, fans will have a new place to put their feet up next year.

A development application for a 200-tent temporary camping ground at Viaduct Park has been approved by Tamworth Regional Council, and festivalgoers can make a booking from the end of the week.

The council-run tent city will be erected at the Peel St end of the park, on the O’Connell St side of the viaduct overpass, along with toilet and shower facilities, generators and light towers.

Destination Tamworth business events manager Catherine Burton said the Central Coast-based company, Rent a Tent, would provide the facilities, which will include two-, three- and four-person tents.

The tents will contain a stretcher bed and mattress and cost between $35 and $55 per person per night; the longer the stay, the cheaper the rate.

The camping ground will be open from Friday, January 18, to Sunday, January 27, and campers can stay for between three and 10 nights.

Ms Burton said the third-generation Australian company had extensive experience in providing tent accommodation for large events across Australia and, depending on its success, next year’s camping facility would hopefully be a permanent feature of the festival.

The idea for the tent village came after the council identified the need for low-cost accommodation during the 10-day event.

While the Riverside camping grounds accommodate festival visitors with their own vans, campers and tents, it was felt there needed to be a budget option for those who only wanted to bring a bag.

Ms Burton said there had been two objections during the proposal’s public exhibition period based on security concerns, but these had since been resolved.

The camping area will be fully gated and security personnel will be present during the night.

Those interested in booking a tent can go to www.rentatent.com.au from Friday.

As part of the booking, every person will receive a festival bus wristband free of charge, with a bus pick-up point on-site.